Hotels near Stavropoleos Monastery

Stavropoleos Monastery is a tiny working nunnery hidden in a courtyard between two Old Town streets, and it is arguably the finest surviving example of Brancoveanu-style Romanian baroque - a mash of late Byzantine, Ottoman, and Italian Renaissance elements developed under Prince Constantin Brancoveanu around 1700. The church itself was built in 1724 by Greek monk Ioanikios Stratonikeas, and the intricately carved stone porch, twisted columns, and vine-leaf capitals set the standard for Romanian religious architecture for the following century.

Inside, the walls are covered with restored 18th-century frescoes and a fine iconostasis in silver leaf. A small annex holds one of the largest collections of Byzantine liturgical music manuscripts in south-eastern Europe. The monastery is free to enter, but photography inside the church is not permitted. Choral vespers with the nuns sung in the old Byzantine style at 17:00 (18:00 in summer) are open to the public and quietly powerful even for non-religious visitors.

Pro Tip: Time your visit for 17:00 vespers on a weekday and dress modestly - shoulders and knees covered for both men and women. Afterwards, cross the courtyard to Caru' cu Bere for dinner in the neo-Gothic hall next door.